Dr Van Kien Nguyen – Director
Dr Van Kien Nguyen received two Australian Award Scholarships (AAS) to undertake his Master course in Environmental Management & Development (2005-2006) and PhD in Sociology (2008-2012) at the Australian National University (ANU). He received the Luc Hoffmann Institute (LHI) Research Fellowship to undertake a 2 year (2014-2016) postdoctoral research on sustainable rice based farming systems at the ANU. https://luchoffmanninstitute.org/fellows/meet-our-fellows/kien-van-nguyen/
Kien is the pioneer to promote the conservation of floating rice based agroecological farming systems in the Mekong Region and Myanmar. The project was funded by the Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund, led by Prof Jamie Pittock (ANU Fenner School & Society) and co-led by Dr Van Kien Nguyen, a research fellow in agrocology at ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society (2017-2019) https://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/sustainability/contribution/environment/fund/results/1224468_7406.html
Kien joined National Association of Sustaianble Agriculture Australia (NASAA) in 2017 and Canberra Organic Growers Society (COGS) in 2018 as a member. He is also affilicated with Organic Agriculture Association (OAA) in Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia, and Organic Trust Australia- Research and Education (OTARE). He is developing a network of organic growers, researchers, NGOs and research institutions working in organic agriculture movement in Australia, Vietnam, Taiwan (MingDao University and organic agriculture association), South Korea, Japan (Asia Rural Institute), China, the Phillipines (PGS), Thailand, Cambodia (WCS, Ibis Rice), Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, IFOAM-Asia, USA, UK, Switzerland, India, Iran, and Netherland.
Dr Kien is honorary senior lecturer at Fenner School of Environment & Society, the Australian National University; an adjunct senior research fellow at the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law, School of Environment and Rural Science, University of New England (2021-2025); senior research associate of Health & Agricultural Research Institute (HAPRI), University of Economics HCM City (UEH); international expert at the Climate Change Institute (CCI), An Giang University; the Steering Community Member of SUMERNET, SEI, Bangkok, Thailand, and the National Board Member of AliSEA Vietnam.
Dr. Estela Gutiérrez is a Legal Scientist, holding a PhD in Global Law for
Human Security, a Law Degree, Diploma in International Business,
Postgraduate in European Union and three Master’s degrees in Administrative
Law, Political Leadership, Communication and Health and Safety Prevention.
As a professional, Estela has been working for the Government of Spain for 21
years and also has experience in the European Union, developing projects in
Public Health and Safety, Digital Government, Citizens Security or Data
Protection among many others. She is a lecturer of Global Law at the UAB and
UOC in Barcelona, and at the RMIT Australian University in Vietnam.
Estela’s experience focuses on the global regulation to protect human security,
a discipline that includes economy, environment, holistic health prevention, and
public policy leadership.
Her book “Gender and Emotions in the Era of Plastics” (Thomson Reuters,
Aranzadi) is based on extensive research on the effects of endocrine disrupting
chemicals, like pesticides, on Global human health.
Dr Daniel Gilfillan – Co-founder
Kien’s initiation of the Mekong Organics Platform was supported by co-founder, Dr Daniel Gilfillan. Daniel has experience establishing socially responsible programs and organisations in Southeast Asia. He is keenly interested in sustainable and organic agriculture, and the role it plays in people’s health and well-being. By identifying and working with organic entrepreneurs in the Mekong, and by linking them with Australian organic farmers, Kien and Daniel are hoping to accelerate the development of organic agriculture in the Mekong region.
Mr Alan Broughton – Adviser
Mr Alan Broughton has been involved with Organic Agriculture Association (OAA) since 1985 in various roles including editor and education officer, and currently the vice president of OAA in Bairsdale in East Gippsland, Victoria Region, Australia. He wrote Australia’s first organic farming diploma course and taught it for 15 years. He worked for nine years until retirement for Australian Landscape Trust at an organic beef farm doing research into grazing management and soil carbon sequestration. Other jobs included nursery work, gardening grounds and bouts at fruit picking, shop assistant work and uploading goods trains. Alan has written and contributed to several books and has produced over 100 articles on biological agriulture and rural issues. Alan has been to organic farms in Cuba, Thailand, Tanzania, Uganda, Italy and South Korea. He will involve with the Mekong Orgnaics as principal research advisor and organic agriculture educator.
Mrs Huong Pham – Administrator & Community Project Coordinator
Kien Huong Pham graduated a Master in Social Work from Australian Catholic University (2014), Certificate IV in Front-line Management at Canberra of Technology (CIT) in 2015, and Diploma in Community Service Work from CIT (2011), and Bachelor of English from Can Tho University (2002). She has involved with Mekong Organics as a volunteer for administration since 2019. Her tasks include grant application, and management, contract agreement arrangement and payroll for the clients, as well as communication with the clients in Vietnam and Australia. She also coordinate some community projects such as organic vegetable garden for 10 farmers in Kien Giang province, Vietnam and teaching English for rural kids in the Mekong Delta.
Other Team Members
